The head of Nokia's MeeGo Linux mobile operating system (OS) unit, Ari Jaaksi, has resigned.

In a statement on Tuesday, Nokia said Jaaksi had "decided to pursue opportunities outside of Nokia". "We thank him for his contribution over the years," the company said. "Despite Ari's departure, our MeeGo strategy remains unchanged. MeeGo continues its strong momentum."

Jaaksi was a Nokia veteran, having headed up MeeGo's predecessor, Maemo, since its first production version in 2005. Maemo was used in a series of tablet handhelds that culminated in the N900, and in February this year it was merged, along with Intel's Moblin Linux distro, into MeeGo. Nokia intends to launch its first MeeGo handset, rumoured to be the N9, by the end of this year.